A futures powerhouse and greatly respected globally, Wendy speaks about art, poetry and music; the tools of culture, to create more evocative, vivid and more densely experiential futures, and much more.

Wendy started her futures education at the University of Hawaii in Manoa 40 years ago, and has been Director of her own consultancy, Infinite Futures for over 30 years. During this time Wendy has worked broadly and deeply in foresight research, planning and facilitation across many countries including Canada, America, Croatia, France, Samoa, England, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

Her specialisations are in horizon and environmental scanning, impact analysis, scenario building and planning, visioning, training and facilitation.

Wendy speaks about coming from a beginning which was average in every way, to making the most of resources in her orbit. She encourages people to throw themselves into change, from philosophy, technology and social change to humanity and the universe.

Interviewed by: Rebecca Mijat

More about Wendy

LinkedIn: Wendy Schultz

References

THEORIES AND METHODS

The article which describes the origins and process of Manoa scenario building - which combines impact cascades with cross-impact mapping to accommodate chaos and complexity in explore alternative possible futures.
Manoa: the future is not binary: https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/schultz-manoa2015q2apf-compassfinal
Explores how images of the future are perceived and categorised, and how the discipline itself uses ‘plausibility’ as an evaluative criterion - and why that might be a mistake.
Crazy Futures: Why Plausibility is Maladaptive: https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/crazy-futures-why-plausibility-is-maladaptive-236207900
An approach to devising scenarios by aligning scanning output with theories of social change; in collaboration with Richard Lum of Vision Foresight Strategy.
Tick TOCS Tick TOCS: Channeling change through theory into scenarios: https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/tick-tocs-tick-tocs-channeling-change-through-theory-into-scenarios
A facilitated participatory process designed to help experts absorb patterns of change and impacts and teach algorithms to forecast, for NESTA UK.
Melding machine learning and participatory foresight: https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/melding-machine-learning-and-participatory-foresight
A grand sandbox methods mash-up, created and facilitated for the Design Develop Transform conference hosted by Maya van Leemput, specifically a participatory session at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp: using Manoa scenario building; the Verge General Practice Framework for Futures; the Postcards Exercise; and Lego Serious Play. Many thanks to Andrew Curry and Bridgette Engeler.
Museum mash-up, or vectors of visioning: https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/museum-mashup-or-vectors-of-visioning

TOPICS

A commentary on women in futures studies, and their decades of seeming invisibility.
Keen eyes, sharp wits, kind hearts: https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/keen-eyes-sharp-wits-kind-hearts-women-in-futures-studies
An exploration of how philanthropy and charity could evolve and mutate with changing times.
Philanthropy Transfored: Emerging Change and Changes in Charities: https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/philanthropy-transformed
A bit of a romp through possibilities for the evolution and application - and relationships with - Artificial Intelligence.
The List: Ten Sparks for Thought on AI:
https://www.slideshare.net/wendyinfutures/the-list-ten-sparks-for-thought-on-ai